The Holy Spirit in a challenging world (by Prof Jan Hattingh)

The aim of this essay is to help the reader to experience the working of the Holy Spirit in its fullness in this challenging world. The work of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life starts long before he or she experiences the baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit as God the Creator in action, is constantly at work and sustains all creation and living beings.

This presentation will unfold as follows:

- We will first discuss the general working of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life.
- Thereafter, we will discuss the baptism in the Holy Spirit as a second experience after the new birth; the fulfilment of the promise made in Joel 2.
- Jesus was introduced as the Baptiser in the Holy Spirit. We will explore the meaning of the words used to describe the experience of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.
- The magnificent meaning of the working of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life will be discussed from Paul’s two prayers in Ephesians.
- We will look at an example of the working of the Holy Spirit in a Christian’s life in this challenging world – the fight in a broken world, so that God’s good purpose can be fulfilled (Rom. 8).
- The imperative to “live by the Spirit”.

Original article: ats.ac.za/blog/the-holy-spirit-in-a-challenging-world